Some Ghanaians' Expectations Regarding the State of the Nation Address

General News of Tuesday, February 19, 2019

Source: ghananewsagency.org

2019-02-19

While President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is due to deliver her third speech on the state of the nation on February 21, Ghanaians have expressed various concerns and expectations for improving their livelihoods.

The address of the state of nations is a constitutional claim that covers the economic, social, health, educational and agricultural sectors.

Mr. Gideon Baffoh, Chartered Accountant, stated that taxes on imported products were too high and had an impact on the prices of goods and services, with importers sharing the burden among consumers so as not to lose .

He added that high inflation had affected commodity prices because of high production costs and the introduction and increase of value-added tax (VAT).

He therefore urged the government to consider revising the VAT system in order to reduce production costs.

Mr. Baffoh explained that the exchange rate was also very high, because the Cedi was significantly depreciated, a dollar equivalent to 5.2 GH ¢, thus affecting the cost of products and services.

"Because most of the products imported into Ghanaian markets are imported, importers need more Cedis to buy a few items in the international market, which affects the entire economy," he said. he declared.

He urged the Government to develop appropriate measures to manage inflation rates in the country, to reduce the number of VATs imposed on imported goods and to consider measures to reduce the high cost of goods and services on goods. Ghanaian markets.

In the education sector, Mr. Baffoh congratulated the government for introducing the free high school system, but asked him to find better ways to make the system work. dual track to reduce the instability of the education system.

He added that the students did not have sufficient lessons in the system, which required parents to enroll their children in additional clbades for a fee of 100 ¢ or more after leaving the school to allow them to attend. to follow the entire program.

Ms. Rosina Twumasi, midwife officer at Mamobi General Hospital, called on the government to review the salary structure of its employees, particularly those in the health sector, to encourage them to work. perform their duties effectively.

She urged the government to consider allocating more resources to the acquisition of more ambulances to improve health care services across the country.

"We also need logistical and infrastructural support to enable us to work effectively, especially at the hospital's maternity unit," she said.

Mrs. Rebecca Tagoe, owner of a grocery store at Kaneshie Market, applauded the government for the free SSD system, which she said she had offered her a number of school supplies that she had previously purchased, such as a ceremonial garment.

In terms of health, drugs for patients with mental wastage were too expensive and too rare, a situation that aggravated the conditions of some patients who could not get or pay the costs of drugs.

"I'm mentally ill but I improved because my family helped me buy medicine. The situation of those who do not get any support worsens, forcing doctors and nurses to work in vain, "she said.

Ms Tagoe said the consulting fees for many years to the Accra psychiatric hospital, where she was being treated, remained unchanged at 20 ¢, which was a positive government effort.

"The government should ensure that there are drugs every day because patients are forced to buy drugs in private pharmacies, which is very expensive. A strip of 45 tablets costs 350.00 GH ¢, but the one manufactured locally is 35.00 GH, "she said.

Mr Francis Kwao, an engineer from the Ghana Electricity Company, urged the president to inform company staff of the date on which the ECG concession would take place at the distribution services of the company. energy (PDS), its transfer has not been transferred. 1st February 2019, the staff being insured.

He also called on the president to publicly announce the measures that the government had put in place to deal with the level of insecurity among the population with regard to kidnappings, armed robberies and custom killings.

There may be public awareness, especially for girls, about how to identify and avoid potential dangers such as abductions.

As for the ECG grant, it was scheduled for February 1, 2019, and the workers are eager to know when it will happen. The tariffs will be affected, the PURC also proposes new tariffs and therefore expect the government to tell them something about the date of the concession.

It was announced that the ECG, with MiDA and PDS, was finalizing the documentation and that the results would be communicated to the public, but they had still not heard anything about the exact date of the transfer from ECG to PDS.